A Bosmer Thief
by TheMoatMonster
Summary: The story of a professional Bosmer thief named Felix and his Dunmer friend and side-kick Lily-Ann, as they hunt for a way Legal or not to get rich as quickly and easily as possible.
1. Chapter 1

**Its been a long time since I wrote anything, because the space bar fell off my old keyboard (Not a joke). Hope you like it.**

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Felix shivered and drew his cloak more tightly about himself. The snow fell hard and fast on Bruma, the cold worsening as the sun set. He made his way carefully over the icy cobbles and slid through a door. The warmth hit him in a wave, and he sighed with relief.

_Fantastic_, he thought, _it has to snow now._

He scanned the room from the door. It was an inn, packed wall to wall with tables and full of chattering people. Felix moved over to the bar, trying his best to stay away from everybody, and sat down.

"Hey," he said, waving to the barman, "Could I get a drink?"

The barman whipped a glass out from under the counter and filled it full of amber liquid. Felix took it without question, and sipped it carefully.

"What is it?" he asked, before drinking the whole glass in one go.

"A drink. Thats what you asked for, right?"

"True. Best not to ask, perhaps. Give me another one."

The barman nodded and took the glass, and as he refilled it, Felix once again checked each table, as if looking for somebody.

"You waiting for somebody?" asked the barman, placing the glass on the bar in front of him. Felix jumped, and looked around.

"Y-yes, I suppose so," he said, with a smile, "Has a dunmer woman come asking for me?"

The barman waved his hand over to the corner, where a cloaked figure (Possibly female, though it was hard to tell under all the winter clothing) was slumped, as though prepared for a long wait.

Felix nodded and picked up his glass.

"Get her another drink, on me."

* * *

"Where is he?" muttered Lily-Ann, staring sullenly at the floor. She jumped when a glass thudded onto the table, and a man dropped into the chair opposite her.

"Felix!" she exclaimed, "I'd wondered if you'd forgotten."

"I did. But I remembered again just in time. What was it you wanted?"

"You remember when you asked me to contact you if a really big contract came up? Well, a nobleman in Wayrest wants us to recover a unique book from his family tomb!"

"Ahhh . . . that one."

"Excuse me?"

"I got hired to look for a book once," said Felix, taking a sip from his glass before continuing, "It wasn't as fun as my employer made it sound. I was chased by everything from harpies to skeletons, I had to swim through a lake full of killer fish, and you know the worst part? When I finally got the book, the only way back out of the dungeon was to squeeze through a tiny window half my size!"

"Why didn't you just go back the way you came?" asked Lily-Ann, as her own drink was finally brought to the table.

"Oh no, I wasn't going past those fish again! The vampires, fine, but fish?"

"Did you have a point to make?" said Lily-Ann, pulling some files out of her pocket, "Or can we get on with this?"

Felix took the files and read through them. It took some time, as he was clearly suspicious.

"He never mentioned any fish, I assure you," she said, impatiently.

"Alright, there isn't any need for that," said Felix, sounding hurt, "I was just checking for small-print. It looks fine, I'm in."

"Really? You understand the tomb is in High Rock, right?"

"Fine, as long as this guy is covering travel expenses."

Lily-Ann stood up, beaming. "You won't regret this, I promise!"

She dashed out of the door, leaving Felix sitting alone at the table. He pulled her half-empty mug toward him.

"I guess she isn't finishing this," he said, and downed it in one go.

**Thanks for reading! This is a continuing story, so return for chapter two, if you're interested.**


	2. Chapter 2

"Is this place supposed to be a town?"

Rain poured down on the hillside, soaking Felix as he stood, his feet covered in mud, gazing upon the sight before him. Lily-Ann had left for High Rock a week before he had, and had left him directions to a small town south of Wayrest. It was one of those forgettable places that had a miserable look about it, as though it knew that most people didn't even know it was there. The houses were arranged haphazardly, as though somebody had thrown them up onto the grass, and they were constructed purely from rotting wood, wearing away quickly in the rough weather but seemingly never repaired. Smoke rose from in-between the buildings, rising from what Felix discovered was a camp-fire, burning away in the center of town. People had gathered around it, to warm up and exchange news of the day. A figure straightened up as he approached, waving to him.

Shy of her winter clothing, Lily-Ann was a beatiful sight to behold. Young and slender, with dark hair falling past her shoulder and over her back, smooth dark-blue skin and big, red eyes. Felix had been stunned when they had first met, but now he simpily took her arm and walked with her, away from the fire and away from the noise of the crowd.

"Glad you could make it," said Lily-Ann, with a smile, "I asked for more information while I was up in Wayrest, but that's all we're getting. When do you think you'll be ready to set off for this tomb?"

"Its been a long trip," said Felix, glancing over at a pub's door, thrown open welcomingly, "I'll just sit down and have a drink or two first, okay?"

* * *

"Is this it?"

Felix stared at the tomb. It wasn't a marvelous sight. Marble was the theme, cracked and crumbling after what must have been centuries. Four ancient pillars surrounded the entrance, a door of mouldy wood, worn away by the years. Felix picked his way carefully through the gravestones and climbed the steps to the door. Lily-Ann followed, studying a map carefully.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure this is the place," she said, looking it up and down, "I have no idea what to expect in here. Could be anything."

"Only one way to find out."

Felix pushed the door open. It got stuck several times in the process, bits falling off it as the elf pushed with all his strength. At last, it swung open, and the musty smell of dungeons everywhere filled their nostrils. Felix pulled a bow from his pack just as Lily-Ann unsheathed her twin daggers. They proceeded with caution down a wide staircase lit by torchlight, listening for the first sounds of creatures disturbed by their presence. Felix jumped as a door creaked gently with age. Lily-Ann turned on her heel, sure that something was behind her. They remained very tense, searching every room, finding nothing. It was only when they had cleared the first floor, and had moved down to another, when Felix smelled a familiar stentch.

"Do you smell that?" he murmered, grabbing Lily-Ann gently by her forearm and jerking his head at the corner ahead of them. Lily-Ann crept on without him and peered around the corner. She laughed, and turned to him.

"Its just a body, nothing to be frightened of," she said, watching as Felix sighed with relief, "Come on, we have a book to find."

They both stepped carefully over the corpse of an adventurer, who had previously attemped to plumb the depths of this place, and neither stopped to wonder what might have killed him. There was a voice, faint, as though carried on the wind. Felix stopped dead, then turned on the spot. The terrible, faded image of a ghost met his eyes of a second, then it lunged at him. He dived sideways, feeling desperately in his quiver for a silver arrow as Lily-Ann thrust and stabbed at the ghost, dodging its blows as best she could.

"A little help would be nice!" she exclaimed, narrowly avoiding another swing.

Felix readied the arrow, and took aim. The ghost moved back, then charged at Lily-Ann again. She ducked, and stabbed upwards as it passed. Felix let the arrow fly, and it pierced the ghost's chest. It howled, and crumbled to dust before their eyes. Lily-Ann slumped against the wall, panting.

"You okay?" asked Felix, sitting down and passing her a drink of water.

"I'm fine. Took you long enough to make that shot," she said, before drinking deeply from the bottle, "I suppose it did m- what are you doing?"

Felix looked up. "Taking the ectoplasm. Its worth about a hundred septims to some people."

Lily-Ann sighed, and stood up. Without a word, they carried on through the dungeon, once again searching every room for the book.

"Which of us is supposed to be making a map?" asked Felix, worry plain in his voice.

"Me," said Lily-Ann, pulling it from her pocket, "Don't worry, I've kept in up to date. We've covered a lot of this place. Can't have much left to search, and its been fairly quiet in here. No killer fish yet."

"Please drop that."


	3. Chapter 3

"Could this be it?"

Felix pulled a crusted, aging book from a crumbling marble coffin. It was bound it green leather, with glittering golden letters of an incomprehensible alphabet stamped across it's cover. He opened it, leafing through pages marked with stains and finger prints and more recently chew marks, possibly from rats. Lily-Ann had been searching a dusty crate in the opposite corner. She looked up, caught sight of the book in Felix's arms, and hurried over.

"Yes, I think it is," she said, taking it from him and thumbing through it as he did, "These markings look . . . Dwemeris?"

"Dwarfish?"

Lily-Ann didn't answer. She just stared intently at a page near the back of the book. Felix peered over her shoulder, glimpsing a rough sketch of a knight before the book was snapped shut.

"Come on," said Lily-Ann, panic clear in her voice, "We have what we came for, we should leave."

She walked away, not waiting for Felix, as he tried to keep up, his questions falling on deaf ears.

* * *

"So . . . this is Wayrest?" asked Felix. They had been traveling on horseback for just over a full day, and the sight of civiliation was a far better one than a tiny village such as the one they had just left behind. The city was massive, swallowing up a vast portion of the landscape, and could easily match the Imperial City on size. It was surrounded by tall, sturdy walls of grey stone, and the gate was protected by . . .

"No guards on duty," said Lily-Ann, riding closer, "So, do we just go in?"

"I . . . think so," Felix said, clearly perplexed. Cautiously, they both entered the city.

"So, you'll be off to . . . get a drink? You must be tired, I know I am."

"I was actually hoping to meet this employer of ours."

Lily-Ann stopped, turning to him.

"You really don't need to," she said. Felix sighed. Lily-Ann had been on edge ever since they had found that book, and his questions had been ignored. He wanted answers, and only one person was likely to give him any.

"I can have a drink later, with you," he said, patting her gently on the arm, "First, however, I want to have a chat with this book collecter."

"Oh, alright, if you're sure," said Lily-Ann, her shoulders sagging a little, "It's Lord Erwin's estate, east of here."

* * *

"Ah, welcome back, m'lady."

After much arguing with the porter who had opened the door to them, and much waiting while files and records were checked, they were finally ushered into Lord Erwin's rather fine oak study, where the man himself stood before them. He bowed to Lily-Ann, and then turned to Felix.

"And who is this young fellow, then?" he asked, extending a hand. Felix took it, and they shook.

"I'm Felix," he said, allowing himself to be guided over to the fire and into a rather comfortable leather chair. His Dunmer comrade settled herself in a chair beside him, flashing him a nervous smile. Erwin poured himself some wine from a glass decanter beside the window, then turned to face them.

"Not that I wish to be rude, but I'm a busy man," he said, drinking deeply from the glass in his hand, "Do you have the book?"

Lily-Ann held it up. It somehow looked more battered and worn amongst the sturdy, expensive furniture of Wayrest's nobility.

"That's it," Erwin said, taking it from her and inspecting it closely, "This is certainly the one. Well done, I just don't know how to thank you."

"But I do," said Felix, straightening up out of his chair, his legs protesting, still weary from the long walk across town, "I have a few questions, if you don't mind. In private."

He looked at Lily-Ann, who simpily sighed, and left the room.

"I'm afraid," said the nobleman, slotting the book carefully on a shelf with dozens of others, "That I don't get out much these days, but I'll try my best to answer."

"Its about my friend."

"Oh yes?" said Erwin, with a chuckle, "What about her?"

"She seemed very . . . surprised, by something in that book," Felix said, "Would you happen to know why?"

"She tried to read it?" said Erwin, a look of puzzlement crossing his face, "I've had no chance to properly study it yet, it's possible effects on the mind have not yet been discovered. It's a Dwemer book, after all, who knows what strange purpose it was intended for."

"So you're saying its nothing to worry about."

"I never said that," said the old man, who poured himself a fresh glass of wine before continuing, "It could have done anything, or nothing at all. Who knows."

Felix and Erwin stared into each other's eyes for a monent, and then Felix left, swiftly, stopping only to collect his payment from the porter at the door.


End file.
